Juan Lopez-Vila

Can you share a bit about your background? 

I grew up in Barcelona, Spain, and came to the United States when I was seven years old. After moving around to several states, my family settled in Connecticut, where I attended middle school and high school. I then attended Boston College, where I majored in finance and ultimately developed an interest in the capital markets. After graduating in 2016, I moved to New York and became an investment banking analyst at BBVA in the Latin America group. Wanting to continue working in credit and exploring a growing interest in alternatives, I joined Blue Owl’s Credit platform, then known as Owl Rock, in the summer of 2019. 

Describe your role at Blue Owl.  

I am a Vice President on the Global Portfolio Solutions & Strategy team, where I focus on the Strategy component. My team is responsible for launching our various funds on key Private Wealth platforms by working with them on structural, operational, and investment-level initiatives. 

What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned in your time here?

How important genuine and honest relationships are. The alternatives space is growing, and competition is rapidly increasing. The way we differentiate ourselves is through responsiveness and candor towards our LPs and prospective investors. I’m excited to see which sector of the alternatives space we will disrupt next. Although the firm has grown a lot over the years, the culture and our values remain an enormous priority for management—just as they did when we were a much smaller organization.  

What is something outside of work that most people don’t know about you and that you’re proud to share?  

Family, food, Lakers, and FC Barcelona. Despite being an ocean away from most of my family, I have always been very close to them and continue to visit Spain every year. As for my family members that live in the United States, I don’t take that for granted. My parents are my role models, and my siblings are my best friends. Food has always been a huge part of my family and our cultural identity, and I developed a passion for new cuisines and flavors to learn about other cultures. Living in New York City has made this an expensive hobby. Finally, go Lakers and Força Barça!   

What advice would you give to people beginning their careers?  

Focus on developing your skills and network first instead of chasing your dream job right away. Make it a priority to work somewhere where you have a genuine interest but can also develop hard skills and grow your social capital. Those will open doors to your future goals. 

What’s your favorite thing about Blue Owl’s culture?  

Company culture has been a huge priority for senior management since I joined Blue Owl, and it has truly only gotten stronger as the firm has grown. It’s very easy and encouraging to meet people on other teams. Even the most senior team members are constantly walking the floor or leaving their doors open, both metaphorically and literally. The organization feels very flat.  

What is it about Blue Owl that sets it apart?

There are endless opportunities to take on more responsibility if you ask for it. Everybody is very well-rounded: smart and competitive but also incredibly friendly and social. People come from impressive individual backgrounds but want to succeed together. I think this really comes off in the work that we do, whether it’s going the extra mile on a project or being an honest and personable partner to a client.  

Is there any part of Blue Owl’s culture or commitment to DEI that personally resonated with you in a meaningful way?  

My family immigrated to the United States from Spain when I was a kid, and I vividly remember the emotions that came with the move: fear of the intense cultural change, distance from my extended family, and having to learn a new language. I also felt an overwhelming excitement, mostly feeding off my parents, for all the opportunities that were ahead.  As my new life as an American unfolded, I learned that the land of opportunity is not perfect and that, much too often, opportunity is not allocated equally or responsibly. I have always felt that Blue Owl truly prioritizes diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity—starting with leadership and transcending the culture of the firm. These values are forever a part of my own life and identity, and I’m happy that I have always recognized them at the firm.